News 2008  : Peugeot Transports SA Ballet

01 08 2008Peugeot Transports SA Ballet

Peugeot Boxer Transports SA Ballet

The SA Ballet Theatre is South Africa’s largest professional ballet company. Based in Braamfontein at The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, the Company encompasses five Outreach programmes, two SABT Schools, the SABT Academy, and of course – the 35 member full-time company. The SA Ballet Theatre is just seven years old and relies solely on sponsorship from the private sector to maintain its operations. This includes the presentation of four seasons annually at the SA State Theatre, Pretoria as well as at The Johannesburg Civic Theatre. In order to educate future audiences, as well as to provide dance training to over 300 children in Eesterus, Katlehong, Mamelodi, Soweto and Melville, the SABT established its outreach programme in 2001.

The dancers are taught afternoon ballet class on a bi-weekly basis. Rena le Lona (We are With You) is the newest SABT Outreach project which was started in 2006 in Soweto to work with children affected by the HIV virus. Learners aged five to sixteen learn movement, body, spatial and language skills through their regular ballet training.

The dancers are taught afternoon ballet class on a bi-weekly basis. Rena le Lona (We are With You) is the newest SABT Outreach project which was started in 2006 in Soweto to work with children affected by the HIV virus. Learners aged five to sixteen learn movement, body, spatial and language skills through their regular ballet training.

The SABT aims to select talented learners for further training at one of the two SABT Schools and eventually, the SABT Academy and professional Company. The learners are encouraged to develop a new South African dance identity incorporating the ballet technique and their own movement vocabulary.

Learners are transported to class in a Peugeot Boxer sponsored by Peugeot SA. This kombi also transports the learners to the many classes and rehearsals which they participate in during the professional Company’s major productions. In 2006, Peugeot SA also generously sponsored the cost of theatre tickets enabling over 600 children to attend performances of The SA Ballet Theatre’s Hamlet and The Nutcracker. The year culminates in the annual year end concert at the SA State Theatre where learners perform for teachers, parents and friends and members of the media. Maintaining this programme is an on-going effort, click here to find out how you can contribute towards keeping the dream of ballet alive in South Africa!